Sarah, don´t get me wrong. I just think that we do not need another greenhorn in the team. You might be a good cop, but I already needed a year to make Frank an helpful partner.
Rainer, just take me serious, ok? If you do not want me to be your partner, fine, but just do not judge me.
I do not. It is just that making you an inspector a few months after your first day after graduating at police academy was a bit hasty by Boehme, even if your father was a good cop and you are propably too. He must know a LOT of infuential people at the staff council.
So, you want to spend your shift telling me how much you hate working with me?
Nope, Sarah. I just don´t want you to try to be a hero, as I did with Frank. You can do the stuff that I do when you have routine. Is that a… more acceptable attempt? Ah, forget about it, possibly also bullshit.
No, Rainer, I think this is the first time we actually understand each other.
Mamba for Mamba 12-2, huge demonstration at the headquarter of the HelixPharm AG. Please check for anything suspicious on the highway, reason are possible assaults.
Sarah he… eh, Mamba 12-2 to Mamba, what do you define as suspicious?
Whatever you consider suspicious, over.
A bit later, a red Cavaliere Nobile Zenturio speeds dangerously.
Sarah, what are you doing? Don´t activate the siren.
Why not? That´s a case for us!
We are detective inspectors, our business is crime, not traffic offenses. Please inform the department to send a patrol car to stop him.
RAINER! What if he kills someone, like crashing into a family car with babies in it?
Imminent danger is NOT the justification for everthing.
But for a lot, right?
Yeah, all right, let´s get him. But that´s a fast car, inform the colleagues to slow down traffic further ahead.
Indeed, there is a fair bit of traffic, and the Cavaliere has trouble getting past it.
12-2 to Mamba. In pursuit of a burgundy Cavaliere, registration Berlau-TT 1111. Driving on the A11 inner city ring clockwise. Last seen at exit Zimmerstraße. Please slow the traffic down a few kilometers ahead, he is fast.
Mamba to Mamba 12-2. We have a hard time sending you assistance that fast onto the A11. But our traffic monitoring indicates dense traffic, so you should get him.
Come on, DRIVE YOU MORON!
Rainer, please dont tailgate like that.
Calm down, there is an airbag!
Mamba to 12-2, car was spotted at exit Antonplatz, still driving onto the A11.
We almost have him, good. MOVE OVER!
But disaster already happens, an ACR loses the box on his roofbox, forcing the car behind to swerve - directly in front of the speeding Cavaliere, and the inevitable crash turns into a chain reaction.
The following Aurora can´t brake fast enough, since the Cavaliere squeezed in right before it to then crash into the evading Primus in front…
More and more cars get involved, and a spinning Ilaris crashes against the Aurora and flips, skidding on the roof and then getting stuck.
Now the accident turned into a mass crash…
A Saarland Kaplan approaches, and the driver can not brake because a bottle has rolled behind the pedal… as last way out, he takes the flipped Ilaris as ramp, flies quite a distance and lands hard behind the crash scene…
OH SHIT! RAINER, THAT LOOKS BAD!
Yes, because it is. Call ambulances and the fire brigade, people might be stuck in the cars. Let´s get them out quick if possible.
Rainer, EVERYONE IS ALIVE!
What a miracle. The ambulances are on the way, let´s arrest the driver…
Meanwhile, the HelixPharm boss, Heiner Benning, is found dead in his office. And, the building up traffic jam on Berlaus Rush Hour blocks almost all traffic in Hetvesias Capital…
Mamba to 12-3, Frank are you there?
Goddamned, I was JUST ABOUT TO GET SOME FOOD. I am hungry after arresting smugglers.
The homicide department asks for assistance, since they are stuck in a traffic jam and you are nearby.
Call the damn Kriminaldauerdienst.
That traffic jam is serious, there was a pileup on the A11…
A11 at rush hour? Dear god. What kind of homicide?
The CEO of the HelixPharm AG died, and the doctor suspects it was not a natural cause.
Now THAT is interessing. Propably a career boost if I solve that case, I am on my way.
Meanwhile, Frank manages to get past the demonstrating masses and talks to the secretary of Mr. Benning.
Madam, if the investigative journalists are right with their accusation, your company is involved in environmental violations, fraudulent accounting, and corporate espionage, and not to forget a climate of intimidation against employees.
Do not believe what is on TV, that is all unrealistic.
Somebody must have killed him, and people rarely do this without reason. So, what has your security service to say so far?
Follow me, Inspector Batimus…
Checking the security cameras reveals that five people visited the CEO, and all of them had a reason to get rid of Benning. A former employee that was fired by the boss himself, a business rival that lost a major contract due to the underhanded tactics of Benning, and a whistleblower who was about to expose the companys illegal activities, as seen in the news, the wife, who is in a bitter divorce and also an activist, being against the company’s unethical practices and sneaking into his office to spill fake blood there.
Soon after, Rainers phone rings…
Sordel?
Yes, Frank here. What exactly is going on on the A11?
Sure you want to know?
Yes, because I am investigating a murder…
You WHAT?
I will explain later. All my suspects have to use the A11 clockwise to get home, and maybe you could check if they are stuck in the traffic jam.
DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY CARS ARE STUCK HERE? THAT TAKES AGES!
So, I start with Michael Lotz, driving a burgundy Ca…
Are you kidding? That idiot caused this mayhem by drunk driving!
DO NOT LET HIM GO! And please check for the others. I will give you the names and registrations.
Why is that my job?
Because getting there is quite difficult at the moment, Rainer, and you are already two persons, split work with Sarah.
Frank, take it easy. You are two ranks below me, I refuse to accept your commanding tone. Yes, I will do the investication, but keep a low profle, otherwise we will get in trouble. Understood?
OK, Sarah, time to make yourself useful. You remember the notification about the protest at that shady Pharma company? Their CEO is death, and the doctor said it was poison. Five people are suspected, and one of them is our crash pilot here. And that punk with that loudspeaker car is another suspect too. Let us put some pressure on them.
Mr. Lotz, yesterday, you had a heated confrontation with the boss after being fired. You were escorted out by security, vowing revenge. Cameras show that you entered the building today again.
Yes, but… I wanted to wait for him, but then… I just ran out and got drunk! I suggest you look for Laura Adamski. Laura met with the boss in a failed attempt to negotiate a truce. The meeting ended badly, with Laura threatening to take him down by any means necessary. And I saw her in the building!
We will, Mr. Lotz, no worries.
HANNA LÖFFLER?
Yes, sir…
Why is there a loudspeaker on your car?
It was helpful for protesting.
But you did not stay outside. Instead, you went inside, got into the office, and then ran out and you escaped very fast with the car. Briefly after, Benning was dead. So…
HE IS DEAD?
Do not play the innocent here. You are one of my top suspects, and you better tell me what happened.
I confronted Heiner Benning during a public protest, accusing him of destroying the environment. I was escorted out by security but promised to make him pay, BUT NOT BY KILLING HIM!
And, you think I believe this?
Inspector, you should interrogate Arne Langhans. He has collected incriminating evidence against the boss but is also implicated in the shady deals. He feared going to jail if the whole story came out.
You better speak the truth there, young lady!
Sarah, I spotted the Fanella of Mrs. Adamski. It is right up there, I will continue there. This Arne Langhans, well, the Allen is right there behind the Barrier.
Well, do you think that we can solve the case just by interrogating people stuck in a traffic jam?
The first 48 hours are very important, after that it is not impossible but of course much harder. Frank ordered a helicopter to transport the body to the ME since the roads are blocked, we should get results of soon.
Results?
He has been poisoned. But we do not know with what, anyway, I think it´s this activist or his wife.
Why?
Poison is a way to kill someone that is highly favorized by women. My gut feeling says it is one of them.
I can´t listen to that bullshit any longer, see you later…
Driver! What is going on there?
Mrs. Adamski, I have no idea. Propably a serious crash.
Heiner Benning has been murdered, I just got the call. Please get me a bottle of champaign out of the trunk.
Haven´t we been just there an hour ago?
So what, your job is driving, not asking questions. So please, I am in celebration mood.
Sure, madam.
Benning?
Mrs. Benning… this is Laura Adamski. Your husband is dead, murdered, my informant told me.
Informant? I knew you were using dirty tactics as well, and you were about to be exposed. I have seen you in the building today!
Mrs. Benning, do not lean yourself out of the window. My informant is good. You have been secretly siphoning funds from your joint accounts and funnelled them into offshore accounts, which your husband recently discovered. If I was you, I would call a lawyer now…
Mr. Langhans, you are not that innocent, as we have heard.
Bullshit!
You did espionage on behalf of the Wiemann AG and were paid by CEO Laura Adamski. Plus, you were profiting from the dirty deals of Mr. Benning.
Why don´t you arrest Michael Lotz? Did he tell you why he was fired? Mike has been embezzling small amounts of money from the company for months. He was worried the boss discovered it, leading to his abrupt firing.
Mrs. Adamski?
My time is limited. What do you want?
I am chief inspector Rainer Sordel. I am investigating the…
The death of Heiner Benning.
How do you know?
I have radio and TV for the backseat here. Don´t you think that has already been on the news?
You have no alibi, you were in the building, and that in the time in which your rival was killed.
You should arrest that activist, I think her name was Hanna, that had broken into the company’s records to find proof of environmental violations, and Benning caught her. She was threatened with legal action if she didn’t back off and… she had to avoid by being sexually harrassed by Heiner Benning. I think, this IS a reason for murder, if you ask me, inspector.
Mrs. Benning, you and the boss had a bitter argument over the divorce settlement. You accused him of hiding assets and threatened to ruin him.
So what?
So you can not act like the shocked and grieving widow anymore, I am afraid.
CAREFUL! How old are you? 22? 25? You are at the beginning of your career, and it would be a shame if it was over soon, right?
Are you threatening me?
I was just asking a question. Would you mind giving me your badge number, inspector?
Not at all. You will not intimidate me.
At the same time, Frank managed to get to the coroners office.
So, make it quick, we are under time pressure.
Please, Mr. Batimus, be patient. So far I can say it happened around 2 PM.
Well, that is helpful. But the security cameras just showed the people ENTERING, not leaving. So, all my suspects had entered by that time, but…
BUT THIS IS YOUR JOB. I did mine, and now make the best out of it, Inspector.
After an update to Rainer and Sarah, Frank got the task to check the statements that the suspects made.
Frank, have you checked the alibis, now that the coroner could determine the time of the poisoning?
Damn, Rainer, I have to drive a lot of detours to not get into one of that damn traffic jams! The phone records of Adamskis lawyer revealed she was indeed in a heated call with her lawyer at the time of the murder. The conversation was about an unrelated business deal, supported by the lawyer’s statement.
And the others?
I AM ON IT!
A bit later…
Rainer?
On the phone.
Security footage showed Michael Lotz leaving the building NOT out of the parking garage since his keys were revoked, and after leaving via the main entrance, he was seen heading straight to a bar after his outburst. His alibi is solid, the bartender confirmed it, and well, the alcohol test you did, too.
This leaves us with Langhans, Löffler and Miss Benning.
Damn, how long does this take, inspector?
As long as neccecary, Mr. Langhans. By the way, where have you been at 2 AM? You have no alibi yet.
HAH! I do have. I was caught in a speed trap on the Birnenallee. There was an officer in the car, you can ask him if he noticed my car.
YOU HAVE NO ALIBI! AND WE KNOW WHAT HEINER BENNING DID TO YOU! Why did you not come to the police? Intruding a building is a joke compared to a rape! Why did you put justice in your own hands? WHY DO YOU WANT TO SPEND YOUR WHOLE LIFE IN PRISON, WAS THAT WORTH IT? MISS LÖFFLER, I AM TALKING TO YOU!
Then, Hanna Löffler suffers from a panic attack, having a breakdown and almost fainting, being frozen and unable to continue speaking, and Sarah called an ambulance.
Ah, there you are. Oh, that looks serious. You are a bit pale and sweating, and you are shaking… better enter quick…
YOU ARE NOT HERE FOR ME! It´s that young lady on the ground. Damn!
Rainer headed to the trunk of his car, grabbing something, but Sarah surprised him.
RAINER! Is that… wodka?
None of your business.
So this is why you are so nervous… you are shaking and you lost temper in the interrogation! It was an open secret that you are alcoholic, but you can NOT continue your service like this!
WHO ARE YOU TO SPEAK UP TO ME LIKE THIS?
You have been rude to me earlier this day because you were worried that I will face the same fate as my father and die in action. Do you think I do not care about you? I am worried, you idiot!
Well… I think one of your cigarettes might do the job until I am finally home.
Rainer, didn´t Frank say that the activists were filmed by the security camera… having a camcorder with them?
So, you think, they filmed at the time of the murder? And we could see if Hanna is there or not? Good idea! Call Frank, I will buy ourselves some time.
What do you mean, with cleaning up slower?
I can´t open the barrier yet. Fake a breakdown of your vehicle or something, I need to keep the suspects stuck here for another hour at least.
I HAVE KIDS WAITING AT HOME!
I do not, so execute the order.
So, they hide here?
Yes Frank, there was no camcorder in Löfflers car, but the map was marked there. It must be their hideout.
Ok, I found somethink like a … container. Fresh tire marks.
SHIT! ENGINE NOISE! THEY MUST HAVE SPOTTED ME!
Frank, the camcorder is vital for the investigation. And we are running out of time!
Frank chases the red sedan through the industrial area.
Amelie, he is still behind us.
That is a brand new Primus! How am I supposed to shake him off? Damn, I thought it was an investment banker trying to evaluate the property.
Nah, I knew it was a cop. Haven´t you heard it on the radio? Benning is dead! And now they want to blame us for it!
Mrs. Benning, I suggest you call your lawyer. You do not have an alibi. And you…
Inspector Maier, enough. What you do here is deprivation of freedom. I want to speak to your superior officer NOW.
But the red Lata does not make it through a corner and crashes into a parked car…
Frank blocks the way and pulls the gun.
GET OUT!
WE HAVE DONE NOTHING WRONG! IT WAS NOT US!
I know.
What?
You dumbasses! Your friend Hanna Löffler is in trouble, and I CAME HERE TO ASK YOU TO HELP HER!
But… how?
Your camcorder! Where is it?
Oh no, inspector… I think it did not survive the crash…
And there went all proof that your friend was with you at the time of the murder. BRILLIANT!
But the cassette is still intact.
Well, my patrol car has a monitor in the trunk to show the highway maniacs their violations that I just filmed. Let´s see then. Assistance is there, DONT MOVE! You still caused a crash. IDIOTS!
Meanwhile, it is 8 PM, and it has turned dark, with the people caught in the traffic jam freaking out.
FRANK! FINALLY! So, what is the result?
Rainer, Löffler is innocent. They filmed her around 2PM holding a banner. And by that time, she was already thrown out by security for … ten minutes. Bennings last call was made at 1:53 PM.
And who did he call?
His banker. And that leads us to…
Miss Benning, I arrest you for murder of your husband. You have the right to call a lawyer, and the right to say nothing. Everything you say can be used for or against you.
WHAT? Inspector Sordel, this will have consequences.
Yes, for you. Your husband called his banker before he died. He definitely knew about your money in offshore accounts. You used your familiarity with the building’s security routines to sneak into the office and out of it, avoiding the main entrance, but you were filmed by some activists how you have thrown a lipstick in the bin, and you walked back in to get to the parking garage and leave with the car, since you had to fear being stopped by us on the way back, depending how fast your husband would be found. Of course, we checked it, and the lipstic contains exactly the fast-acting poison used in the murder.
Julia Benning put out a knife and threatened Rainer to give him his gun and car keys, as his car was not stuck in the traffic jam.
RUNNING AWAY HAS NO USE!
CORRECT! I am Kriminalkommissar Batimus, you are arrested! Freeze. I will shoot before you can even raise that gun!
When the barriers were removed, the traffic started to roll again, and the three officers discuss at the scene.
Sarah, Frank, this was good work.
Do you think she has done the world a favour by killing this monster?
Maybe, Sarah, but she did it out of the wrong motive. Greed is hardly better than what her husband did. Frank, what is your opinion?
That we should go to bed. This was tiring.
cars used by @mart1n2005, @AndiD, @Angelustyle, @karhgath, @Knugcab, @Hilbert, @the-chowi, @azkaalfafa, @Ludvig, @shibusu, @moroza, @Ch_Flash, @G_Fera, @Riley and @Mikonp7, Thanks to @HermannMatern for expertise / consulting.